The  beauty of an ordinary life
by Lamppostshines
Summary: A family faces challenges as they walk through life's journey. They begn to rely more on each other, and on the Bible. As time passes, their bond grows...
1. Dad's Bible

**Chapter 1 **

Kelly blew at a rather old and worn-out book. Dust particles flew all over the room. Gently, she brushed the remaining dust off. She gazed at the book. Her brother's favorite book. The Bible. The Holy Bible. Holding it, she felt something stirring inside her but she tried to ignore it.

She glanced towards the door quickly. Her brother-Matthew- never really liked her to be in his room. She held still for a moment, listening. The stairs almost always creaked if someone was coming up. But since she heard nothing, she turned her attention back to her father's Bible.

This Bible was special to her. Her father had brought it with him when he was at war. None of them had believed that the Bible would ever return back to the family once they had heard that he died. But a close friend of his had managed to reclaim it, knowing how long the Bible had been passed down from generation to generation in their family. From father to son. And, here it was. And there was more to the story. Like how Matthew said he was going to keep the Bible in his room. Some pages were torn and a little ripped out, but mom had taped the pages back together. Matthew could no longer use it, and so, he had a different one, which was, right now, downstairs lying on the coffee table. Kelly thumbed through the Bible, smiling as she saw familiar passages.

" Kelly? What are you doing in here?"

Kelly jumped up, frightened. She whirled around and came face to face with Matthew.

" Matthew!", Kelly exclaimed.

Matthew glanced at her. Then, his eyes traveled to what she was holding in her hands. His eyes widened.

" Kelly! What are you doing?", Matthew asked, taking his Bible away from her.

" I…I was just looking. I'm sorry Matthew! I just couldn't bear to…I haven't seen it in a long time".

Matthew stared at her for a while. Then, he shrugged his shoulders and said, " Well, I guess it doesn't matter much".

Kelly nodded and looked down.

Matthew rested an arm on her shoulder and added, " I'm sorry I yelled at you, Kelly. I didn't know you cared that much of father's Bible".

" Leaving it in your closet collecting dust wasn't the sort of treatment I would give to it, you know", Kelly replied, a small twinkle in her eyes as she glanced at her brother.

Matthew paused as he took in what his sister said. Then, he nodded and scratched his head, pondering over something.

" I think I understand what you are trying to get at, Kelly", he said.

Kelly waited.

" I don't think I could ever let go of it", he started, and Kelly's hopes died down, " But since you've made an excellent point, why not run down to the kitchen and ask mom whether she would mind if we placed this Bible in the display case?"

Kelly glanced at Matthew in surprise.

" Are you serious?", she asked.

Matthew smiled down at her and said, " Others will want that, I suppose".

Kelly grinned widely at Matthew and gave him a short hug before she rushed out of his room and tore down the stairs.


	2. Marrying?

**Chapter 2**

" …and they lived happily ever after", Mark finished for Matthew. Matthew looked down at his little brother and grinned.

" I have a different ending for my story this time", he said, ruffling Mark's hair.

" You do?"

" Yes. The Princess broke her promise to her own mother, and loved her riches. She cared nothing for her kingdom anymore and everyone disliked her. A witch came forth, and set a spell onto the princess, and she disappeared completely. She was never seen again", Matthew said.

" But that ends with a happy ending still, right? The kingdom is rid of her", Mark asked.

" No, unfortunately. With the royal family gone, and dying out, the kingdom was left with no more royalty. The folks couldn't find a leader to be their king. They were good people, but they were still greedy in their own ways. They argued and argued amongst themselves. The witch mysteriously appeared again. She, became the evil Queen of the whole kingdom, and made every man and woman her slave".

Mark's eyes widened, " Wow!"

Matthew smiled and kissed his brother's head.

" And that's the end. One day, you'll find this story relevant in your spiritual walk with the Lord. Trust me on that one", he said. Matthew slid of Mark's bed and tossed the covers over Mark.

Mark snuggled into his bed and sighed deeply. He looked up at Matthew and asked, " Matt? Are you going to college tomorrow?"

" Yes, Mark. But I'll be back for dinner", he replied.

" Oh man!", Mark muttered. Matthew grinned and ruffled Mark's brown hair.

" Goodnight, Mark", he whispered and turned of the lights.

" Please leave the night-lights on, Matt"

Matthew turned the night-lights on slowly then walked out of the room.

Matthew walked down the stairs to retrieve his Bible from the table. Mom was sitting by the fire reading her Bible. She looked up as he walked in.

" Kelly says you are letting us put your Bible in the display case. Is that true?", she asked.

" Yes. She had a good point, you know", Matthew replied as he picked up his Bible and sat on the couch".

" She does", mom agreed, " Kelly is a special one. She is beautiful, I've never seen such beauty! And… she has no resemblance of me or your father".

Matthew smiled as he leaned back.

" Matt…", his mother said, and the seriousness in her voice caught his attention. He sat up and turned to her.

" Matt, what would you think of me marrying again?", she asked.

Matthew jumped up, shocked, " Marry?"

" Yes, marry", she answered.

" You've got to be joking, right?", Matthew said, smiling a little for he didn't know whether she was being serious or…

" Matthew, I'm not. I am considering it".

" Who?", he demanded.

Mom stood up and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

" He's a serious Christian. From our church".

Matthew paused, taking all this in.

" Who is he?", he asked.

Mom took in a deep breath and said, " Benjamin Lovejoy".

" Benjamin?", Matthew repeated, " Well… he is nice, and a serious Christian too. Not bad looks, I should think, not bad for a 39 year-old, I mean".

" Well? What do you think?", mom asked.

Matthew stared at her and said, " Benjamin? My father?"

Mom looked at him expectantly.

He paused for a while, than said, " Why marry again, Mom?"

" Because-", she started.

" Do you think father would like it?", he asked.

" Matthew, I don't know about that", she replied.

" Then why?"

Mom took in another deep breath and said, " Matt. I know it is hard to take all this in. Especially after Dad…".

Matthew swallowed as he thought about it. The fire at the fireplace burned brightly, warming the chilly late spring night. Long moments of silence passed before anybody said anything again.

" Mom, if you love him, I wouldn't stop you. It isn't up to me to decide", he told her. Mom smiled at him, and he quickly added, " Congratulations, Mom".

" Thanks, Matthew", she said quietly. Matthew caught his mother's eye, and he hugged her.

" Oh, Matt!", his mother laughed softly as she hugged him back. Matthew picked up his Bible once again, and walked upstairs. He opened the door to Kelly's room. She seemed to be sleeping, so he turned away.

" Don't go", a small voice called to him.

Matt smiled as he came back into the room. The figure on the bed shifted as Kelly made space for him to sit-down.

" How's it going Kelly?", he asked.

" I can't sleep", Kelly sighed as he sat down. Matthew smiled at his sister and turned on a night-light.

" What are you thinking, Matt?", she asked.

" Thinking?", he repeated, surprised by his younger sister's question. Kelly sat up and faced him.

" Well, I was just wondering", Kelly said, " Has there been anytime when you just stayed up the whole night thinking about something? And you want to talk to someone, but there's nobody there to talk to you?"

Matthew raised an eyebrow.

" Yes. But I didn't stay up the whole entire night, Kelly", he replied.

" Oh, but that's what I'm feeling right now", she said.

Matt smiled, " What do you want to talk about?"

Kelly grinned back at him and threw her arms around him.

" Thank you, Matt!", Kelly exclaimed before continuing, " Matthew, what do you want to be once you get out of college?"

" Well, I'm learning how to be what I want to be in college", he replied.

" You didn't answer my question. You're not getting married?", Kelly asked.

" Married? No, I don't think so", he said, surprised.

" Don't you love anyone?", Kelly continued, frowning.

" Of course I do", he replied, moving himself so that he was now at the foot of her bed, facing his sister.

" Who?"

" Well, I love God, Mom, Mark, and you", Matthew said. Kelly glanced at him and smiled a little.

" I'm glad. But don't you love someone else other than family? Someone you might want to marry?", she asked.

" Nope, Kelly. I have all of your. I don't suppose I need one. I'm just fine right now don't you think?", he replied, blushing a little.

Kelly grinned widely, and shook her head.

" No, but still… it would be rather interesting", Kelly said.

" Do you really think so?" Matthew asked. Kelly opened her mouth to say something, but than, the door opened. Mother stood there. Immediately, Kelly shut her mouth.

Mother walked in and motioned for Matthew to leave the room.

" Goodnight, Matthew", she said, nodding at him. Matt looked up at her and realized that she wanted to talk to Kelly. Matt got off the bed quickly and ruffled his sister's hair gently.

" See ya tomorrow, Kel", he told her, grinning. But Kelly shook her head and replied, " I'll be going to camp remember? And you're going to come over two days after tomorrow".

Matthew paused as he tried to remember. He did.

" Oh. I have college, but since it's the last day… I won't be able to send you to camp. You'll have to find another way".

" What?" Kelly exclaimed, " You have to send me, Matt!"

Matthew laughed and said, " I'm kidding. I'll send you as far as to the front door of the dining hall, alright?"

Kelly sighed in relief and whistled slowly.

" You got me there, Matt. But thanks", she replied.

" Wake up at six o'clock, and don't be late, or you'll just have to stay home", he said, walking out of the door.

……….


	3. Getting over the shock

**Chapter 3**

" Matthew? Did mom tell you?", Kelly asked him the next day in the car.

Matthew paused before he said anything, trying to wait the time out and come out with something to say. He was sure that what Kelly meant, was about mom's marriage. But he wanted to be completely sure first.

" Tell me what?", he asked as innocently as he could.

" Matthew, you're not good at lying you know?", Kelly said, turning to look at him from the co-driver's seat.

Matthew chuckled and blushed, taking a glance at his sister.

" I know, Kelly. I was never good at it", Matthew replied, swerving quickly to the left before he missed his turn. Kelly got slammed into the door, and she rubbed the side of her face.

" You're not good at driving either", Kelly said, shaking her head.

Matthew just smiled at her.

Kelly sighed, than returned to the topic, " So? Didn't mom tell you that she was going to marry again?"

Matthew pretended to look around, avoiding Kelly's gaze, driving steadily. He licked his lips and finally turned to her. He took a deep breath and said, " Yes, Kelly. She did tell me"

Kelly sank back and shook her head, " I knew it. What do you think about it, Matt?"

" What do I think of it?", Matthew repeated.

" Yeah. But I'll say what I thought of it first. I told her I liked Benjamin, but I don't like his kids", Kelly told him straight-forwardly.

Matthew smiled, " And what are their names?"

" You'll find out. One of them is your age you know?", Kelly told him, " But they aren't Christians. It's sad".

Matthew raised an eyebrow, " They aren't Christians?"

" Nope", Kelly replied.

" What do you know about Benjamin and his family?", Matthew asked her, " You seem to know everything".

Kelly smiled again and said, " Benjamin had a wife before. She gave birth to two children, and died soon after. When she died, her youngest child was 11 years already. Then, Benjamin got saved. His oldest kid was 16 years old. They hadn't been raised in a Christian home, so they aren't believers. Benjamin met mom quite a long time ago, remember?"

Matthew halted the car to a stop as the traffic light turned red. He turned to Kelly and nodded, " I remember. We had to eat dinner with him only. But it seems a bit blurry to me because I was crying".

Kelly frowned, " Why were you crying?"

" Because it was right then, during our meal that we heard that dad had died. You were only 10 years old than, Kelly. Its been three years since. I was sixteen. Mom had to take me out of school to bring me to Oregon, where his body was, to attend his funeral. She left you and Mark with someone. When we came back…", Matt trailed off, starting his car back up as the light turned green.

" Matthew? You were really affected by dad's death weren't you?", Kelly asked.

Matthew hesitated again and nodded, " We were close to each other. Dad thought me lots of things too and… Kelly, lets not talk about this".

Kelly nodded quickly and said, " I don't mind Benjamin as my father, but I won't feel right. And I hate his kids! His youngest son always tries to play pranks on me. Everytime he goes to church, which is rather rare, he'll always do something mean".

Matthew raised an eyebrow again, surprised.

" I haven't heard about this yet", Matthew replied.

Kelly glanced at him, " Haven't heard about it yet? He always drops ice cubes down my back! Once, he threw a handful of sand down my back. You mean you didn't know about it?".

Matthew shrugged as he stopped the car outside the camp's dining hall, " There are lots of things I don't know about, Kelly. The Lord decides what I need to know or don't need to know".

Kelly sighed and grinned at him, " Well, here we are, Matt", she got out of the car and grabbed her camp bag from the backseat. As she headed to the camp, she stopped and turned around, coming back towards him. Matthew opened the window and stuck his head out.

" What's wrong?", he asked her.

Kelly shook her head and said, " I just wanted to say…um, good luck with getting used to Benjamin and his family".

Matthew smiled, " Thanks, Kel. I'll see you in two days alright?"

Kelly nodded and hugged him, " Bye, Matt. I'll miss you. I don't know anyone here".

Matt grinned, " I think you'll do fine" .

" Thanks for driving me here, Matt", Kelly said.

" No prob", Matthew replied, " I'm going to be late for college so I have to leave now alright Kelly?"

" I guess", Kelly nodded.

" Bye"

" Goodbye, Matt", Kelly sighed, than turned and walked off. Matthew shut his window quickly and drove off.

……….

It was six o'clock when Matthew finally pulled his car into the driveway. He was glad that he could spend the next few months taking a break.

As he switched off the engine and looked up through the windshield, he saw the front door opening and Mark running out towards him. Quickly, Matt undid his seatbelt and grabbed the car key, hurrying out of the car.

" Matt! Matt!", Mark called. He raced to Matthew and tugged at his jacket.

" What?", Matt asked, and than having to repeat it over again because Mark was yelling something at the top of his lungs. For a minute, that was the commotion outside the house.

" Listen!", Mark exclaimed.

" I'm trying", Matthew told him, " Talk Mark, don't shout"

Mark nodded and took several deep breaths.

" Well?", Matthew asked, trying to walk Mark back into the house, " What's wrong?"

" Matthew, you won't believe this"

" I'll believe it, trust me"

" Alright", Mark paused than said, " Mom is getting married again. To Benjamin Lovejoy. And he's here, he's going to have dinner with us!"

They stopped outside the house. Matthew paused and didn't say anything.

" You don't seem surprised", Mark observed.

Matthew raised an eyebrow, " I know. Are his kids here?"

" Nope"

" Great", Matthew muttered. He pushed Mark lightly back into the house.

The boys were greeted with Mom rushing out to Matthew.

" You're late, Matthew", Mom scolded gently after giving both of them a hug.

" I had to do a couple of things first", Matthew replied.

Mom sighed and ushered them into the house, saying, " I thought so". As mom closed the door, Matthew saw someone else standing about a few yards away.

Mom brushed past him and took the man's arm.

" Matthew…", Mom started, " this is Benjamin, Benjamin, my first son, Matthew"

Benjamin smiled at Matthew, " Nice to meet you, Matthew"

Matt nodded and grinned back, " Same here". He offered a hand shake and Benjamin took it gratefully.

Later after dinner, Mark and Matthew were finally alone with each other, doing the dishes. Mom and Benjamin sat in the family room talking softly.

As they finished up, Matt turned to Mark and asked, " What do you think about it?"

" About what?"

" Mom getting married again"

Mark shrugged and said, " Got a shock. I mean, we're going to have a new family, Matt. My first thought was to yell at Mom"

" Did you?"

" Well, sort of", Mark replied.

" Sort of?"

" She cried"

" What?!", Matt asked, " You made her cry?"

" Only a little. Both of us got over it soon enough and I told her I was sorry but this was coming too fast for me. She forgave me"

Matthew smiled, " Well, I would agree with you about that. I got alittle racked up when she told me"

" What did you say?"

" That it wasn't up to me to decide whether she could marry again or not. If she really loved him, and was absolutely certain about it, she could do whatever she wanted to do. She didn't need my permission or anything like that", Matt said.

Mark nodded and sighed, " You always know the right thing to say at the right time. I wish I could be like that".

Matt raised an eyebrow, " Really?"

" Yeah", Mark muttered, his cheeks starting to flame.

Matt smiled at his brother and gave him a short hug. Mark was eleven and his head only came up to just above Matt's elbow.

As the two brothers finished the dishes, Matt placed an arm around Mark.

" What about this?", Matt started to say.

" What about what?"

" I was coming to it"

" Oh", Mark paused to let matt finish his sentence.

" What about the two of us, tomorrow, drive down to the river and do some fishing?", Matt suggested.

" Really?", Mark asked, " Just the two of us?"

" Yeah, the two of us. No Kelly. No mom. Until 5 o'clock, we'll have to be back by than. The day after that, I'm going to camp"

Mark grinned, " Deal. It's been a long time since the two of us had a day together"

Matt rubbed his chin and smiled back, " Let's go tell Mom"

The two brothers hurried to their mother.

……...

" Mark", Matthew watched as his brother reeled a catch in, " Do it steady…no, not that fast…not slow either, just at a speed-"

" I got it!", Mark cried happily.


End file.
